Watch Now:
Christopher Tosi, a video creator and wildlife enthusiast, was lucky enough to spot a leopard ambushing a passing warthog in the Kruger National Park. At the time he was driving on the S25, and was about one kilometer south of the S26 junction.
Despite their habitual stealth, it was the leopard that alerted Chris to the sighting, as he says, “[o]ut of the corner of [his] eye, [he] saw the unmistakable flash of a leopard’s tail and torso.” Shortly after this the sounds of the fight reached him.
The leopard’s ambush had been successful and it had sunk its teeth and claws into the warthog, but an attempt at a quick kill had failed which meant the leopard had a fight on its hands.
A long and drawn out combat doesn’t particularly suit a leopard anyway, especially not against an animal as well armed as a warthog, but things were about to get even worse for the poor cat.
Tug Of War
Before the leopard could completely take down the big pig and secure itself a good meal, competitors came, no doubt alerted by the sounds of the scuffle. Hyenas.
Hyenas are notorious for stealing the kills of other animals by chasing them off with their superior numbers, but for the moment this hyena was alone. It was still prepared to contest the warthog though, and the poor pig wasn’t even dead yet.
A cruel competition began, with Chris saying that an “epic battle of tug-of-war ensued. Neither the leopard nor the hyena was letting go of the warthog”, and being caught between the two, the hog couldn’t escape.
Reinforcements Arrive
For a time, it seemed that the poor warthog would be pulled apart by the two predators vying for meat, but even though the leopard had started the fight, it quickly became outnumbered as more hyenas began to arrive.
Things were already very bad for the warthog, but they were also going from bad to worse for the leopard too.
Not having a pack or clan of its own to help it, the leopard was faced with a choice. Lose the valuable meal and run away, or risk being mortally wounded by the hyenas, or the warthog’s tusks while it was distracted.
In the end, it wasn’t really any choice at all, and the leopard was forced to retreat by the superior numbers of the hyena.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
The Risks Of Living A Solitary Life
Without the warthog to eat, the leopard has wasted its energy on the hunt and will go hungry unless it can find any other prey animals to spring an ambush on. Having kills stolen in this way is a big risk for leopards, who cannot compete with pack animals alone.
The hyenas would have recognized the already injured warthog was vulnerable, and with the leopard scared away, they don’t have to put in as much effort themselves. Or so they might think.
Live To Die Another Day?
The warthog put up a strong fight against the leopard, and then it continued to do the same against the hyenas, despite being badly wounded.
Not only did this hardy pig continue to fight back against worsening odds, it even managed to escape for long enough to get to its burrow, where it was significantly safer.
In its burrow, the warthog’s back and sides are protected meaning any attacking animals have to make their way past its tusks first. Most predators, even lions, will attack piglets, or try and surprise adults from behind specifically so they don’t have to try and fight past those tusks.
Despite its wounds, the warthog managed to put up quite the fight, and still get itself into the best position it could be in to continue fighting off the hyenas long into the night.